PPS Mild preservation Project highlights and achievements in the field of mild preservation June 2017

Why mild preservation? Quality Shelf life & safety Traditional processing: challenge to maintain fresh quality and nutrients (e.g. retort sterilisation) Novel mild preservation technologies using other mechanisms than heat give opportunities Economic impact Innovation Competitiveness New products New markets Sustainability Less food waste Less energy use Less water use Societal impact Improved food safety Enhanced fruit & veg consumption

Mild preservation methods Heat Microwave heating Radiofrequency heating Ohmic heating HP sterilisation Pressure HP pasteurisation Electric impulses Pulsed electric field processing Volumetric Matrix effects Natural additives Light Pulsed light Surface Cold plasma Combination of technologies Hurdle technology

Project objectives Deliver added value for the food and technology sector by further development of mild preservation methods Enable implementation of these technologies by a larger group of end users Increase fundamental and applied knowledge of novel processing to reduce implementation risks and to create innovations in safe and sustainable food systems

Realised results Development and demonstration of novel technologies Quality, safety and shelf life: HPP, PEF Industrial applicable: HPP, PEF, Hurdle Design of sustainable production chains based on novel technologies Hurdle, PEF Increased insight and knowledge of mechanism, working and safety of novel technologies: PEF, E-cooking, plasma, moulds

Project Partners

Highlight: PEF Microbial inactivation using PEF as alternative to heat Insight from PPS: Impact on microbial inactivation and shelf life Impact product properties of PEF efficacy Impact on quality aspects: taste, enzymes Implemented by project partner in production facility: Shelf life from 9 days to 3 wks New PEF process developed Scalable, large product range Microbial inactivation, shelf life and quality High innovation potential

Highlight: PEF, microbial inactivation Possibilities and limitations of PEF process conditions Microbial inactivation influenced by: Size and morphology micro-organism Product matrix (pH) Timmermans et al., 2014. Int. J. Food Microbiology, 173, 105-111 Timmermans et al., 2014. Effost meeting, Uppsala, Sweden

Highlight: PEF, implementation Industrial application Production 5 days per week, max 2 shifts 12 flavours, 48 SKU’s Shelf life 16 (smoothie) to 21 days (citrus) Distribution to: Sweden, Belgium, Baltic states, Austria, Germany, Netherlands Retail, foodservice Juice with same flavour, colour and fragrance as fresh!

Highlight: cold plasma Decontamination of surfaces with nitrogen plasma Insight from PPS: Nitrogen plasma inactivates heat and chemical resistant spores and vegetative cells Distinctive morphological change upon plasma exposure compared to UV, heat and ClO- , suggesting a specific mode of action Promising technology for future application on food and food packaging material Currently done by project partners: Scaling up: reducing treatment time Application for aseptic packaging systems

Inactivation of bacterial spores by NCAP logN/N0 Spores on filters Inactivation of both heat and chemical resistant spores. Van Bokhorst et al. (2015) Food Microbiology B. cereus B. atrophaeus G. stearothermophilus untreated N2 control plasma Nitrogen gas feed high voltage power supply plasma flame Membrane with sample nozzle Exposure to nitrogen plasma affects Bacillus cereus spore morphology Electrical power 3W

Highlight: high pressure sterilisation HPS: pressure and temperature for sterilisation Start of PPS: Scientific research results available for effects on e.g. micro-organisms, ingredients, packaging Insight from PPS: Need for T sensor: prototype developed, currently continued in EU project Need for good product samples: research on complex food products Need for integration with pretreatment/preheating Currently concluded by project partners: Need for integrated pilot line on semi-industrial scale (100-500 kg) to study benefits of technology

Highlight: HPS, product research Comparison at equivalent conditions (e.g. same F0 value) Research focussed on vegetables that with current technologies are difficult to sterilise Some examples: HPS (700 MPa, 3 min) + additives fresh PATS CS Melon-banana-red pepper-smoothie

Outlook: dissemination Presentation and posters at conferences Workshops Training of senior inspectors of NVWA Training mild preservation for (groups) of companies

Outlook: dissemination Scientific papers Professional journals Scientific books Popular journals More publications expected in 2017 Peer reviewed basis for knowledge on mild preservation

Implementation of mild preservation

Outlook: recommendations Industrial partners essential for technology development: Technology provider & users jointly specify needs Focus on practical pre-competitive challenges Early involvement of NVWA very valuable: Research topics, e.g. safety & knowledge transfer International cooperation essential: International partners in project Presentations at conferences and workshops Specific networks and projects: Combination of technologies in one project worked well

Thank you! More information: Ariette Matser ariette.matser@wur.nl +31 317 4080121